Falling
by Elsa007
Summary: AU-Voldemort was defeated in the first Wizarding War and all the Marauders survive. Remus meets vivacious young Nymphadora Tonks and falls in love. This is my take on how his friends find out. (and of course a bit of Ronks romance along the way!) One shot for now, I might add later.
1. Chapter 1

**Parameters of this Alternate Universe: The night Pettigrew betrayed the Potters, Sirius went to check on his hiding spot early and saw that he was gone, figured out what happened and got to Godric's Hollow in time to warn Lily and James. He also had sent Patronus' to Dumbledore and the rest of the Order, including Remus. Remus and (much to the surprise of James and Lily) Severus Snape got there first. Dumbledore created an illegal Portkey and spirited a pregnant Lily and baby Harry away to the Burrow – the Order's best safe house at the time. Fighting together, James, Severus and Sirius defeat Voldemort. Later that year, Lily is doing some reading and comes across something that discusses Horcruxes. She gets the idea that Voldemort might have had some and brings this idea to Dumbledore. They begin to look into it together and the marauders (minus Pettigrew who was killed by Bellatrix Lestrange in her anguish when she learned of Voldemort's downfall) go hunting for them and defeat the Dark Lord once and for all. Harry and his younger brothers (two-James and Lily have three kids) live a normal childhood and he grows up as Ron's best friend. Their meeting Hermione happens in relatively the same manner and despite the lack of Dark Wizards trying to kill him, Harry still manages to get into a lot of trouble. Other important information here: This takes place in '96, about the same time as Order of the Phoenix which means that Tonks is 23 here. Remus (and James, Sirius and Lily) are 36.**

"So Remus, heard any gossip at Hogwarts recently?" James asked, far too innocently.

"That is a magnificent question, James!" and now Sirius. This spelled trouble. And a lot of it. "You know, it's been years since we were students. How I long for teenage dramatics and gossip. Do tell us, Remus, dear." Sirius gushed reminiscently. God but that dog was melodramatic when it suited him.

"I did hear something interesting the other day, actually." I said as seriously as I could manage. They weren't the only ones who could play at this game. "Did you know, Minerva mentioned to me that our record of the most detentions served as a group for pranks has been surpassed?" The mug in Padfoot's hand shattered as he slammed it on the table.

"What?!" His voice was high pitched and strained. That had been his crowning achievement. Said so in a direct quote on his chocolate frog card, right next to "helped bring about the downfall of the dark wizard known as Voldemort. Sirius Black states to this day that his proudest accomplishment will always be his record for the most collective detentions served for pranking at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. He holds the title with several other notable wizards: Mr. James Potter and Mr. Remus Lupin."

"Looks like they'll have to change your chocolate frog card, Padfoot." Lily came sweeping into the kitchen with a pot of tea and a mischievous smile on her face. "Hello, Mooney. So nice of you to stop by. I know you have a busy schedule these days." James choked a laugh into his tea at that and my brow furrowed. That clearly had something to do with what my friends were fishing for. I sighed. Why couldn't they just ask me something if they had a question like normal people?

"Even more impressive Padfoot, is the fact that the record is now held by two wizards instead of four. As in the two of them have pulled more than twice the number of pranks we did and served more than twice the time." Sirius was now sputtering incoherently so I turned back to my paper. "I assume that was to what you were referring, Prongs."

"No, actually." He went on. Damn. I had been hoping he would let go whatever it was they were about to mock me mercilessly about given Padfoot's current state and turn on him instead. I was in such a good mood, I didn't want them to ruin it. "My son mentioned a rumor he had heard the other day in his last letter and I wondered if you had heard the same thing."

"Well you know what they say about rumors." I said casually. To my surprise it was Lily who didn't let me go after that.

"That they all have some basis in fact." She smirked at me. "So tell us Mooney, is it true? Are you dating a student?" I spewed tea all over the table in front of me, coating Sirius in the stuff much to his dismay. As James laughed at our friend and Sirius glowered at me I couldn't help but stare directly at Lily.

"What?!" I sputtered. "A student?! Of course not! That's absurd! You believed that?"

"Not at first," She shrugged as though she hadn't just assaulted my character. "But Harry and all of his friends had heard the rumor and then Marjorie, a girl I work with said she heard Professor Sprout mention Professor Lupin's scandalous love life and then you started humming." The rumor, _of course_ , was absurd, the second mention, well, that was perhaps a little closer to fact but Lily's third accusation caught me completely off guard.

"I'm sorry, I started _what_?"

"Humming. You've been humming songs lately and you've been in this perpetually happy mood and I thought, hey. Maybe Mooney's in love." I stared at her.

"So because some loose lips started wagging and I've discovered a new album, you figured I had started dating a minor! Lily. Rest assured. I am not dating a student." Her face fell and I looked into her eyes, even more shocked. "Lily Evans Potter tell me this instant why you look disappointed! Did you _want_ me to be dating a student?!"

"Some of them are of age! She-"

"Or he!" Sirius added helpfully. I rolled my eyes.

"-could have been 17 or 18. And you aren't that much older than them, stranger things have happened! I mean I married James. I have no room to judge you for whatever your love life entails."

"Hey!" Prongs poked his wife lovingly, realizing that she had just insulted him. "What are you saying about me?"

"That you're kind of a wang and that I could have done better. Lucky for you I fell in love with you." James pulled her in for an obnoxious, way-too-passionate-for-an-old-married-couple kiss and I moved on.

"Well I promise you, I'm not dating a student." Having pulled away from his wife, I saw James accept a handful of Galleons from a pouting Sirius. "Did you lot have a bet as to whether or not I was dating a student?" I asked, as Sirius glared at Lily.

"I thought you said you were sure!" He murmur-yelled under his breath. "I _said_ Remus couldn't get some hot, younger girl but nooo. Lily was sure! You just cost me 10 Galleons." _Can't get some hot younger girl, Merlin's ass_ , I thought to myself proudly.

"Remus, what was that?" Lily turned to me, suddenly deathly serious. "What was that smile? What are you smiling about? Oh my gosh. You are dating someone! You're in love! Guys! Remus is in love!" she was jumping up and down now. I sighed and folded my paper.

"And that's my cue to leave." Her fingers gripped my arm in a vice grip.

"Like hell you are! I need to know everything! Who is she? When can we meet her? What is she doing this Friday? I'll have a dinner party. Oh my gosh, Mooney, I'm so happy!"

"Like I said. I'm leaving."

"What!? No!" my friends all tried to convince me to stay but I wasn't having that.

"No! And I'm not telling you all anything yet either because Sirius will make some disgusting comments and James will make fun of me and Lily, you'll stalk the poor girl and scare her off before I even have a real chance."

"Aha! So we know it's a girl!" Sirius interjected triumphantly. Then abject wonder filled his eyes as he amended his statement. "Unless it _isn't_ a girl! Unless it's a _man_ and you've said girl in order to throw us off the scent." Wonder turned to terror as his mind continued to rant. "Oh sweet Merlin, tell me it isn't a guy that you call 'my girl' or some disgustingly cutsie nickname like that. Remember how much I vomited when James started calling Lily 'pumpkin pie'? Do you want me to puke on you too?" I rolled my eyes and kissing Lily on the cheek, made my way out.

I glanced at the watch Mr. and Mrs. Potter had given me for my 17th birthday and grinned. It was almost time. She'd be there in half an hour. Only 30 minutes and I got to see her. We'd only been dating a couple months. Casual. I hadn't broached the subject of exclusivity until last week because, well, it was her. She was young, vibrant and give it enough time and she'd want someone young and vibrant too, not some dusty old professor who was shyer than a box of rocks. (Note to self: Do _not_ let Sirius meet her.) So when I finally did ask her if she was seeing someone else, it came as quite a shock when she responded by nearly tackling me and informing me that we were exclusive and that if I dated someone else, "my boogies would be turning into bats for months". Her words. Not mine. She then proceeded to assure me in some rather creative ways that she had some pretty strong feelings for me and that I had damn well better be taking this relationship seriously. It had made my day. In more ways than one.

-x-

I quickly apparated back to the Hogwarts gate and unlocked it, letting myself in. I hurried to my office and ran a comb through my hair. It wasn't as unruly as James' but the wind had still done a number on it. "Leave it." her voice pierced the quiet of the room and a full smile broke out onto my face and she tiptoed up behind me. I didn't look at her yet, just stood there and waited for what was surely about to come. "You're always so kempt and as great as you look, there's something sexy about you all windblown and out of sorts." I smiled as a shiver went down my spine. She was almost past my desk. Only a meter or so away from my back. I closed my eyes in excitement. THUNK. There it was. I spun around and reached out my arms to catch my falling girlfriend. Her pink hair fell across her face as she tumbled into my arms.

"I haven't moved that bin since I started working here. And yet you trip over it every time." I grinned down at the girl in my arms. "How is it possible to be that clumsy?" she rolled her eyes, her hair turning a slightly darker color of pink, almost as though it was blushing. Gripping me by my shoulders she pulled herself upright but didn't try to escape my grip.

"Oh shut it."

"Make me." I said with a smirk. She responded by enthusiastically occupying my lips for a few minutes. When we finally did separate, I took her hand and let her through my office to the painting which would give way to a tunnel to my quarters. "What say you to dinner?" I asked.

"I brought steak!" She exclaimed excitedly. "And wine. I thought we could celebrate." My brow furrowed as I looked at her questioningly.

"Celebrate what?"

"Hello! Anniversary?" I blanched. Had I forgotten our anniversary? Holy hell, what was I going to-wait. No. Hang on. It wasn't our anniversary.

"Dora, what are you talking about?"

"Five years ago today." She said staring at me expectantly.

"You graduated from Hogwarts, officially making it not as creepy that we date." I guessed, knowing full well that wasn't it as it was the middle of the school year.

"No you complete idiot! Five years ago today, the Lleuad bill went through!" I froze. Had it really been five years? Lleuad, Welsh for moon, had been the unofficial name of the law going through the ministry to give equal rights to werewolves and reclassify them as Wizards, not beasts. It was shortly after that I had been able to declare my status and work at Hogwarts without the fear that someone would discover my secret. It had been a few years after the bill (though I still believe it had a large part to do with this) that I had begun to think that maybe, just maybe, I could find someone to love who could love me back and maybe have a life with them. Of course, I went ahead and picked someone out of my league with or without my wolfy status. "I think that deserves some extra rare steaks and a few quality hours where, in honor of werewolves everywhere who must shed their clothing as they transition, we too, shall shed our clothes." She spoke the words with such pomp and posh reverence I couldn't help but laugh. "That's why Dumbledore approved my visit! I told him it was a special day and that I needed to be with my boyfriend so that we could-"

"Please God don't tell me that you suggested to the headmaster of Hogwarts, _my boss_ , that the reason I requested special permission to bring you here was so that we could have sex?"

"Of course not! What fun would suggesting be when I can just flat out tell him?" I groaned. She grinned and reached into her bag. "He gave us this." She pulled out a small tube and handed it to me. "Said muggles use it when they get down and dirty and thought we might like to try it." I have never been this mortified in my entire life. She was serious. She had told Albus Dumbledore that we were about to…oh dear Lord. I could never look the man in the face again. "Like he didn't know we were doing that." She continued, almost reading my thoughts as usual. "He's been giving me access for a month now. You told him we were seeing each other. This is what adults do when they're in happy relationships."

"You didn't have to tell Dumbledore." She winked at me.

"Live a little."

-x-

Hours later, our stomachs (and to be perfectly frank, some other organs as well) perfectly sated, we lay side by side. I held her hand in mine, trying not to get overexcited as the fingers on her other hand traced the lines of my torso. Not as tight as they once were, I was still in fair shape and proud of the muscles I possessed. They were nothing compared to her, but of course, as she like to say when I complimented her body, _thanks, I like it to. That's why I picked this shape._ Yes, she had a point. If she wanted to add a muscle or take away some fat all she had to do was think. On the other hand, in moments where she lost control (a phenomenon that so far had only happened when I had pushed her too _that_ point, I thought proudly to myself) some of her features shifted. When I asked about it, she said when she lost focus like that, she went back to her born shape. Her hair turned a deep shade of brunette at the roots (once all of her locks had taken on the darker hue much to my own delight). Her nose became slightly wider at the base. Sure she preferred the nose she chose for herself, but she was gorgeous either way. Her hips took on the slightest curve that they didn't possess in her everyday life but other than that, her body stayed the same. She could change anything she liked but for the most part, she didn't. (Why would she when she looked like _that_?)

"Don't take this the wrong way, Remus." She said suddenly, instantly making me nervous.

"What is it?" I did my best not to sound panicked but something about the phrase hit the insecurities within.

"Don't freak out."

"I'm not." I insisted. "What is it?"

"You're kind of beautiful, you know?" her voice was small as she spoke, a direct contrast to her normally overt and loud personality that took up every room she walked in. "I mean obviously you're handsome. But seeing you like this, I just didn't know if anyone ever told you that and I thought someone should. Because you are. You're beautiful."

"Don't be silly. I'm an old man covered in scars and not exactly in his prime."

"I didn't say you were perfect. But the scars? They show that you've had to fight for something. That you weren't handed everything on a silver platter. And what's more, they show that you didn't just fight, but that you were stronger than your battles. That you won. And your age isn't an issue, Remus. Without the life you lived, you wouldn't be the man you are today. You are a sum of your experiences and I met you at exactly the right time for us. Had I met you when you were my age, you would have been someone else entirely. And I can't tell you how thankful I am that I met you. _This_ you." I couldn't speak. I had no idea she felt that way. For a moment I could see what she saw, and see that she thought that I was enough for her. "You aren't perfect, Remus. But you're perfect for me." She took a deep breath and looked me dead in the eye, nervous, but courageous. "Remus I love you."

The world stopped, ceased to exist, in that moment. It must have. There was no way that everything kept on moving, the earth spinning, the sun continuing to shine, when all of a sudden, I was living in a different world. I pulled her instantly to me, my lips finding hers and pouring how I was feeling into a kiss that seemed to last several days rather than a handful of minutes. I moved my lips to her neck and murmured against her skin. "I love you." I tasted her neck and drank her in. "I love you, so much." She laughed in pure joy and rolled us over, sitting nimbly astride my hips.

"Sorry. I know I'm supposed to let you say it first but I couldn't wait another minute and I was starting to think you'd never say it even though I knew you did." She leaned forward and kissed me lightly on the lips. My hands rested comfortably on her hips, my thumb caressing her as her chest lightly brushed over mine. The world began to turn again as we lost ourselves in each other for another hour.

-x-

I was going to be late for dinner and with rumors floating around that I was dating a student I really couldn't have that. I pulled my clothing on and cast a charm on my hair in an attempt to fix that mess.

"Sorry." She muttered, not at all sheepishly. "I'll try not to pull your hair so much next time." I met her eyes in the mirror and raised one eyebrow. She rolled her eyes and sighed, knowing precisely what I was thinking about. "Or biting or scratching you." I laughed, leaning over my still naked girlfriend (who loved me by the way!) to give her a kiss.

"Maybe we just save those tricks for some time when I don't have to go to work soon after." She grinned. "I do have some semblance of a reputation to maintain.

"Well in that case, you should probably do something about the bruises on your neck." She added, a bit too proudly. I looked back in the mirror and sure enough, like a 14 sneaking back in after his first good snog in the Herbology greenhouses, I had several (rather impressive) hickeys adorning my skin. I held in a grin and cast a glamor charm to hide them.

"I wish I could stay longer but I have to go. I'm going to be late as it is and if I ask Severus to cover my dinner shift when I'm not technically recovering from a full moon he'll ask questions." She pouted but nodded, clearly understanding. I ran my fingers through her hair. "Speaking of, I must comment that 'recovering from the full moon' is a lot more enjoyable when you're around to distract me from my pain." She laughed and gave me one final kiss.

"Well, sir, I too must comment that Saturdays are far more enjoyable when I have you to look forward to as well. I only wish I didn't have to work Sundays so we could see other the whole weekend." I frowned and pulled her back in for another kiss, suddenly saddened by the idea leaving her.

"Remus you're going to be so late. And do you really think Snape won't ask you why? Do you really want Snivellus to be the first person you actively tell about us?

I shook my head half-heartedly and allowed her to push me out the door. I was going to be so late for dinner. And it was so worth it.

-x-

Meanwhile at dinner, I was greeted with another surprising turn of events. An owl came flying into the hall, landing on Dumbledore's shoulder. She read the note, nodding thoughtfully and passed it to Minerva who handed it on to me.

 _We have taken the matter under consideration and agree with you. We should always be prepared. And with the dissent at Azkaban last weekend it doesn't hurt to get our ducks in a row (a muggle saying I've recently learned!). I've reached out to the other members and they are fully on board. Sirius Black has volunteered the use of his home (location currently held by a secret keeper – directions will follow from Black to those who don't already know) for our meeting. The Order will reconvene tomorrow at 7 pm. Several members have recruited a younger crowd so there will be some new faces. Several Aurors and my own eldest sons. Molly and I look forward to seeing the gang again._

 _Best,_

 _Arthur Weasley._

 _P.S. Could you pass this message on to Order Members there at Hogwarts? We didn't want to be too obvious by sending that many express owls into the castle at once. Thanks. – A_

I smiled. It had been a while. They were right. It was a good idea to get everyone in contact again, just to be ready if or when something ever happened. Besides, it would be good to see some of the old faces again.

I passed the note on to Severus and turned back to my potatoes. This was certainly turning into an interesting day.

-x-

Sunday came and went in a slow fashion as I excitedly waited for the events of the evening. I had assured the others that I knew to where we were headed and that we could travel together. It would be easier for Sirius to walk out his own front door onto the streets and share the location with them rather than for him to find a way into the castle surreptitiously to tell Minerva and Albus the location of his family home. It would be interesting to be back at Black Mansion. Sirius had decorated it in the most ludicrous way (I suspected in an attempt to piss off his Mother's portrait after he figured out he couldn't get it off the wall.) and to see Severus trying to be stoic and serious surrounded by the colorful hydrangea that grew out of the light fixtures would be interesting. Finally at half past 6 I couldn't hold it in any longer and I tracked down the others. Snape insisted on apparating by himself claiming he didn't want to be there a minute longer than he had to. (As much as it sounded like an excuse, I had a feeling that it was exactly the truth and that spending time with Sirius Black was the last thing Snape wanted to do on a Sunday evening.) Severus had been let in on the secret (reluctantly on Padfoot's part) when Lily had invited him to the Christmas party a few years ago. He had only come to see his God-son and had ignored Padfoot the entire time. He hadn't been back since but he still knew the way.

I held out the Portkey I made to Minerva and Albus and they took it, waiting for that hook to pull them quite literally off their feet. We landed outside number 11 and I hurried into the house next door, the one they couldn't see just yet to fetch Sirius.

"Padfoot! We're here early. Come let Dumbledore and McGonagall in!" Pounding footsteps came running down the stairs and the dark haired lanky man I'd been calling for appeared.

"Snivellus is here? Let the torture begin!"

"Sirius Black, I swear by Merlin!" lily called out from a few rooms away. I smiled.

"He isn't here yet. Didn't want to drop in a minute before he had to. He'll be by later." Sirius nodded and bounded outside to let my colleagues in, acting so much like his animagus form it made me laugh. James appeared from a room down the hallway and grinned jogging towards me to wrap me in a hug, as though it had been months since we'd seen each other, not a day.

"Mooney! How've you been? Lily feels bad about yesterday, by the way. She's knitting you a jumper to make it up to you."

"She's making me a _jumper_?" I clarified, confused.

"Molly's teaching her to knit. She think's it'll be a great first project. Plans on knitting 'Mooney' into the back like on our Quidditch uniforms! If it turns out I'm going to ask for one that says Prongs and we'll get Padfoot into one too and we can _match!_ " James was far too excited about the prospect, grinning from ear to ear.

"I've been wondering for a while," Minerva's voice echoed down the corridor like hallway.

"Why do you three call each other those things? I mean, Mooney, I understand. But what on earth is Prongs and Padfoot about?" James burst out laughing and I couldn't hold in my own grin.

"Let's just say you aren't the only one who can turn into an animal." I muttered under my breath. Her brow furrowed deeply and she shook her head.

"But you lot started calling each other that in school! You were, what, thirteen at the time?" Sirius winked at her wickedly.

"Admit it. You're a bit impressed." She shook her head.

"I don't believe you. A bunch of thirteen year olds learned how to become Animaguses without help? And you lot, to mention? I mean Remus perhaps, but the two of you? Become motivated for that long? I don't believe it."

"Minerva." Dumbledore interjected with an amused smile. "How did they do it? Are you joking? Remus Lupin is a genius, Sirius Black doesn't like rules, James Potter thinks he can do anything and Peter brought them all snacks." Sirius stiffened at the mention of Wormtail but I could only smile at Albus' comment. "Do you remember that month when those three wore chalkboards everywhere they went and insisted they had taken a vow of silence and wouldn't speak?" Minerva's eyes grew so wide and she stared down the others.

" _That's_ what that was about?! You didn't want us finding out you were walking around with a Mandrake leaf in your mouth?"

"Pretty much, yeah!" James said with a smile.

"So what exactly are you?" She asked skeptically. With a wink, James and Sirius turned forms and ran around for a moment before changing back. She shook her head, whether in awe or judgement I couldn't quite tell. "But why?" James grinned and clapped my shoulder.

"Werewolves don't bite other animals. And it wasn't so bad for him if he got to hang out with his friends."

"They distracted me from the pain. For the first time I didn't look at the full moon with terror. It was a time my friends and I could sneak out of the castle and run around in the forest. And if we accidentally got too close to people, where I would pick up the scent, a few bites from a big dog distracted me enough for James to get me out of there." I nodded at Sirius with a grin.

"So Prongs, a stag. Padfoot, a dog. That makes Wormtail-" she broke off, forgetting for a moment in the nostalgia that his name was nearly taboo.

"He was a rat." Sirius growled angrily before stomping off down the hall. I grimaced and looked at James.

"Do you want to or should I?" I asked him raising an eyebrow.

"I will." Lily volunteered, appearing at last. "Hello dear." She greeted me with a kiss to the cheek

"Perhaps I will accompany you." Dumbledore suggested quietly, making his way in the direction in which Sirius vanished. Lily nodded and followed after him, walking backwards so she could yell back to me.

"I noticed in your sappy, girlish nostalgia you didn't mention who figured out your secret and tried to help you _first._ " She winked at me before disappearing into the kitchen. James looked at me curiously. Holy hell, had I not told him?

"Did you not know?" I asked, shocked.

"Know what?"

"Lily found out long before you lot." He shook his head.

"What? No!"

"Yeah! She found out after my second cycle first year. For a couple years she did all my homework around the full moon. I'd wake up, knowing I still had to finish my Transfiguration essay and make my way back to our room only to find it completed _in my handwriting_ on my desk."

"What?!" Minerva snarled angrily. Oh. Shit. I forgot that was her class. I grinned at her sheepishly. A burst of laughter interrupted the conversation as Dumbledore made his way back to us. We stared at him in shock as he practically shook, doing what I could only describe as giggling.

"Headmaster, what is it?" Minerva finally interrupted.

"I've just met the new Order members."

"And?"

"I simply found one of them delightful." There were tears escaping his eyes as his grin split his face he was smiling so hard. "Let us all go in together and meet them, shall we? There are some faces that you all should see. Immediately." He returned down the hall and we followed, cautiously. I for one was nervous. What on earth was all of that about?

Bubble gum pink hair greeted me when we turned into the room and I instantly knew what Dumbledore had been so amused by. I, however, was somewhat less than amused. I didn't want to deny her. But we had agreed we wanted to keep us private for the time being. And having James and Sirius be some of the first to find out? She would run screaming.

Speaking of Sirius, he walked into the room arm in arm with Lily, munching on some snack she'd made. He nodded to the newbies, greeting them.

"Weasleys. Tonks." I froze. He knew her. Sirius knew her.

"What's up, Black?"

"Lily made muggle desserts." He said with a grin, holding up his prize. "I don't know what it is but I know I'm gonna eat at least 5 of them!" Lily rolled her eyes. I would have done something similar but I was too transfixed on the tableau before me to focus on that just yet.

"God, you're predictable."

"Says the girl who trips over literally everything. It's like you don't have eyes." Shit. He _really_ knew her. How did they know each other? Had they been, Merlin forbid, _involved_?!

"Nymphadora," Dumbledore said far too calmly. "I don't know you've met all of Sirius here's friends. This is James Potter." She held out her hand and shook his proffered one.

"How my cousin has friends I'll never know but it's a pleasure to meet you just the same." She said. His cousin. She was Sirius' cousin. Dear lord. That may be even worse.

"And _this_ is Remus Lupin." She spun around her eyes wide and we stared at each other for a moment.

"Don't be silly, Albus. She know Remus. She was still in Hogwarts the first year Remus taught."

"WHAT?!" The word was torn from both of us simultaneously as we stared at Minerva.

"Nope. Nope I'm pretty sure she didn't." I said assuredly. "I definitely didn't have her in any of my classes."

"Yeah. Never heard of Remus Lupin before in my life. So clearly that isn't true." Minerva tipped her head to the side and pursed her lips.

"Are you certain? I could have sworn her last year was your first." She turned to me directly. "Just the other day, we were discussing the pranks we'd seen over the years and you mentioned the pink hamsters. That was Tonks, her eighth year! You must have been teaching by then!" Oh Merlin. I remembered now. Dora had told me that story and I mentioned it when she told me about the Weasley's new record and we were discussing pranks.

"No. Nope. I wasn't there then." I insisted, grimacing at how awkward my voice sounded.

"Then how did you know about it?" Dumbledore asked, looking as though Christmas had come early. I looked frantically back and forth between Dumbledore, Dora and my friends without even a semblance of an answer for that question.

"MERLIN'S BALLS!" Lily's swear broke the tension but only for a moment. Her eyes whizzed back and forth between Dora and I frantically as realization crossed her eyes. Shit. She knew. "Humming?" She asked simply. I sighed and covered my eyes with my hands. She laughed loudly and bounced up and down on her heels. "Oh my gosh this is the best day of my life!" She exclaimed.

"The best? Really?" James muttered indignantly. "How many years we've been married and _this_ is the best day of your life? So far I don't even know what's going on. So clearly I'm missing something."

"Are you blind you wang?" Lily shrieked at her husband, much to Dumbledore's enjoyment. "This day is better than our wedding day and my last five birthday's combined." James, suddenly serious frowned.

"I'm starting to be afraid that you're not being hyperbolic here."

"I'm not. This is the greatest day of my entire life." She rushed around the table and wound me up in her arms. "Mooney I'm so happy for you!" She was crying now. I hugged her back but only so that I could whisper in her ear.

"We were kind of trying to keep it private."

"Well that's stupid. I don't support that. So I don't care." She returned with a smile.

"You've been living with James too long." She nodded in response and turned to Dora.

"Hi. I know we only just met but I wanted to say that I love you and that I can't wait to spend more time with you." Tonks nodded slowly, realizing that she knew but not quite understanding what was going on anyway. Lily turned back to me. "I'm not going to be able to keep this in so you may as well tell everybody." She suggested before returning to her knitting with a new excitement. I sighed and looked at Dora. She shrugged but I could see a faint smile under the surface.

"Sirius. Remember yesterday when you said that I couldn't ever get someone younger and hotter than me?" I asked, relishing in this moment despite its premature-ness. After all, opportunities to say shit like this to Padfoot only came around once in a while. He nodded, still completely lost. I sat next to Dora and put my arm around her, thinking about what words I should use carefully. Sirius' eyes widened as he realized what was happening. "Yeah. Suck it."

 **Shout out to Tumblr users: remusyoulittleshit and thezohar for your amazing head cannons in regards to Animagus transformation with the marauders that inspired that little scene in there! Thank you so much! XO for you two!**

 **Thank you all so much for reading! This was an odd idea that floated in and I sat down and pounded it out in one sitting. As of right now it's a one shot but I really enjoyed writing in this universe! Let me know what you think! Should I continue? Is it okay? Is it awful? I am trying to improve my writing so all criticism is welcome! XOXO - E**


	2. Chapter 2

**Author's Note: I always do seem to come back round to Harry Potter no matter how many fandoms attempt to drown me in awesomeness. I wrote the first chapter of this fic in a mad dash at my university Library on a fit of inspiration and I've always loved it, mistakes, and typos, and bad writing included. It made me really happy to write and the story really fit with my idea of what could have been. It hasn't done as well as a lot of my other works but its always been one of my favorite. The other day I had a bit of an idea and I mixed that with an idea from a reviewer to tell the story of how Tonks and Remus got together in the first place to make THIS chapter. If anyone is still reading this - thanks! and I really hope you enjoy it!**

* * *

Meeting done, we took to lounging around Sirius's vast home. Despite the copious amount of seating and her ability to create a chair if none were to her liking, Tonks ended up in her favorite seat - my lap. It took one terror filled moment to remember that we weren't hiding this anymore and that it was a perfectly normal position for couples to find themselves in even in public.

Of course Sirius reacted to other perfectly normal things with the most gross over exaggerations possible as well so why I expected this to be any different was completely beyond me.

"You called my cousin hot." He said accusatorily.

"Yeah, she's my girlfriend, so..."

"But isn't there a rule about that?" He asked. "Like in a bro code somewhere?"

"Really, Sirius?" Lily commented sighing. "This from the man who tried to convince my sister that magic was contagious and that if she slept with him enough she would develop magic powers."

"I remember that!" I said with a grin. "Now _that_ was a fun vacation."

"Sirius got an STD and we had to obliviate his nurse because when he's in pain he forgets how to be normal in front of muggles."

"Sirius got an STD from your sister?" Bill Weasley asked, looking altogether too thrilled about this.

"No, he got an STD from my neighbor and then gave it to my sister. I guess an itching downstairs is one kind of magic, huh Sirius?"

"We said we'd never talk about it again." He growled.

"No," James corrected him. "We said we'd never talk about how Petunia beat the shit out of you with a frying pan afterwards."

"And now we're talking about it so can we get back to Mooney over here and how he's disrespecting me?"

"Oh I'm sorry." Tonks said in a monotone voice that clearly told how not sorry she was. "I didn't realize that you owned my vagina." James spit his drink out laughing while Sirius looked on in horror.

"Don't- Merlin, Tonks, you can't just say... oh my gosh!"

"I told you." Dumbledore said as he stepped into the room. "It works every time."

"I honestly didn't think it was going to but damn." Tonks replied. The pair of them high-fived in what was fast becoming one of the most uncomfortable moments of my life.

"What exactly just happened?" I asked, shaking my head to clear it.

"Snivellus was being obnoxious last time I came to Hogwarts to visit you and Dumbledore taught me this trick. Its really enjoyable to watch people who are annoying or offending you suddenly become vastly uncomfortable about something you say and the quickest way to make someone uncomfortable is to bring up your private bits."

"Thank you so much for continuing my girlfriend's education post Hogwarts, Albus. I really appreciate that."

"It's a life lesson for us all." He said with great seriousness.

"Once again, I would like us to return to the Bro Code."

"I think we decided that while you can make a "no-hitting on list' to include any family members or close friends, actual relationships where feelings are involved, your no-go list is confined to immediate relatives and Lily's best friends and even then there are loopholes. Tonks isn't even your first cousin so she's in the clear." James said decisively.

"Well I want to amend the rules!"

"Why?" Lily asked. "Under new rules you break most of them. You hit on my mom Sirius!"

"You didn't warn me Momma Evans was a stone cold fox. It took me by surprise and it just came out."

"You asked my cousin what color underwear she was wearing last Christmas only you did it on one knee so she thought you were proposing to her, man."

"Second cousin, right?"

"First and she's also a close friend of Lily's."

"Was I dating her at the time?"

"Her. And five other girls."

"Right." He thought pensively for a moment, then his eyes lit up in a way that was highly disquieting. "Aha! I want to add Tonks to my no hitting on list! Which means you were in violation the first time you hit on her which means, drum roll please, you broke the code!" At this Tonks burst out laughing.

"You're kidding right?" She asked, as her hand distractingly ran through the hair on the back of my neck. "Which one of you actually thinks that Remus has, at any point in time, _hit on me_?"

"Oh come on, he had to lay down some moves the first time you got together." Lily said in an attempt to defend my honor.

"I think I hit on you for what?" She asked, tilting her head to look at me. "Four or five months before you even noticed I was doing it." I flushed a bit.

"I thought that's just how you were." I protested weakly.

"Then you're an unobservant little shit, because I distinctly remember asking if I could visit your restricted section and play with your wand, all while wearing a see through shirt, dear."

"Whoa!" James burst in grinning, looking damned proud. "This is a story we need to hear. You know. To see how stupid Remus really is."

"And to hear about this provocative flirting." Lily added, her voice dead serious. "James and I like to role play based on real events."

"How is it that you two get _them_ ," Sirius asked in a growl, "And I get..." He gestured beside him and frowned. "Oh wait. That's right. I have no one."

"Get on with the story, won't you?"

"On weekends I go to this coffee shop in Hogsmeade. Its on the very edge of town, over by the Shrieking Shack." I began, giving into the peer pressure.

"Are we still calling it the Shrieking Shack?" Tonks asked, her voice sounding heartbroken. "I thought we decided on Lupin's Lovenest." Sirius spit out his pumpkin juice and glared at me. I couldn't hold in the smirk.

"No, darling, _you_ decided on that. I was vehemently opposed to calling it that."

"We'll find something that suits it." She replied airily.

"Shrieking Shack will do just fine."

"Well now you're just being ridiculous!" She scoffed.

"Can we get back to the story?!" Lily asked impatiently. I smiled and took a breath, continuing.

"As I said, on weekends I like to go to a coffee shop in Hogsmeade. It's usually fairly empty and no one bothers me so I can grade papers, come up with lesson plans and if I have time, read, all in relative peace and quiet. Then one day, that peace and quiet is interrupted by a horridly loud crashing wherein a bubblegum pink haired witch has tripped over and umbrella stand, causing one thing to crash into another, a whole chain reaction until every single glass behind the bar is lying on the floor shattered."

"That was me." Dora said, as though she needed to clarify. Proud as a peach, she leans back and kicks her feet up on the table, grinning. "And everyone's just staring, like they've never seen a clumsy person before and making me feel like an idiot and the bartender starts to yell and raises his wand at me, ready to expel me from his bar, and all of a sudden the glasses are fixing themselves, washing themselves, polishing themselves and lining themselves up in neat little rows." She shook her head in wonder. "It was like magic."

"It _was_ magic." I deadpanned.

"Yeah, didn't I just say that?" I shook my head at her as she stuck her tongue out at me.

"Anyway..." I prompted.

"Anyway," She returned imitating me, making Lily laugh before continuing on in that endearing cheerful way of hers. "This very handsome wizard was standing there wand raised, smiling peacefully at the barkeep and apologizing for any inconvenience, saying he had been expecting me and that we had a meeting, lots to discuss and all, and ushered me away before the man could kick me out."

"Awww! Mooney you saved the day!" Lily said softly, grinning."

"I fixed some glasses here, okay? I didn't defeat a dark wizard or something."

"No but he has done that dear!" Lily said to Dora. "Defeated a Dark Wizard, saved the world, that one's quite heroic."

"Lily she's already dating me. You don't have to convince her." Tonks cackled and continued on with the story.

"So I sit down with this very handsome man and order a cuppa and and look up at him, flipping my hair as flirtatiously as I can and he... just smiles at me and then goes back to grading papers."

* * *

"I'm Tonks, by the way." She said to me, kindly. "Nymphadora Tonks to be particular, but if your fools of parents named you 'Nymphadora' you'd go by your surname too."

"You could always truncate it." I suggested lightly, making conversation. "Dora is a perfectly acceptable name."

"I suppose." We melted into silence as the barman brought over her tea, glaring at her all the while.

"And what do people call you?" She asked, reminding me that I hadn't yet introduced myself.

"Remus Lupin." I held out my hand and she shook it.

"Well Remus Lupin, I must say thank you for saving me back there. A bit of a secret, _I'm exceptionally clumsy_."

"It happens to us all." I assured her.

"Could have been worse I suppose, I could have died or killed someone."

"Yes, those things both would have been worse than some glasses breaking."

"Hmm." We retreated into silence for a bit longer when I suddenly realized she was staring at me, her eyes narrowed, contemplating.

"Can I help you?"

"You fascinate me."

"Oh."

"Do you come here often."

"Every Saturday from 10 until 3."

"Well then Remus Lupin, I expect we'll run into one another again."

"Yes! Well it was charming meeting you Nymphadora."

"Tonks." She corrected.

"It was nice meeting you, Tonks."

"Mhmm."

* * *

"What this young man is failing to mention," Tonks began, ignoring Sirius's scoff at her use of the word 'young', "Is that I had changed my hair color no fewer than 4 times over the course of that very short conversation, and at one point had given myself a pigs snout."

"And he didn't notice?" James asked, enthralled. "You pulling out your wand and transfiguring yourself."

"What?" She asked, confused. "Oh! No! That's not-" She closed her eyes for a moment and when they opened they were golden, her hair rapidly changing from pink to scarlet, and giving herself a tiny button nose that turned a tad to the left. James jumped back, shocked.

"You're a-"

"Metamorphagus." She confirmed, changing it all back. "Although I must admit, that did remind me, I've been meaning to change my hair, I'm a tad sick of the pink. Any thoughts?"

"Gold, for Gryffindor." Lily suggested.

"Well that settles it then," Dora returned looking affronted. "Yellow for Hufflepuff." Cascades bright yellow locks curved down her shoulders as she grew it out longer than she usually left it, leaving her roots a start black. It was a very edgy look, very...20 something year old. I loved it anyway. Without thinking my fingers began to wind themselves in her tresses as she continued the story.

"Lily, when you like a boy, and you know he's going to be in a pub for a set section of hours every Saturday, where do you go during that time on Saturday?"

"To the pub, with work or a book but no friends, creating an impromptu meeting, paramount to having a date, making the whole thing look like a coincidence for a while until they get used to your presence and then one weekend not go so that they are looking for you and realize that they miss you?"

"Obviously."

"That's obvious?" Sirius asked, an eyebrow raised.

"Yes." They both responded simultaneously.

"All those times we ran into each other in the Gryffindor common room, Lily," Sirius said, shaking his head. "I had no idea you had it so badly for me, love."

"Oh shut it you tosser." James returned, throwing a pillow at him.

"So I sit with him, every Saturday for two months, flirting heavily and making it very clear that I am single and ready to date him, and then, I stopped coming. When I came back, two, agonizing weeks later, he _asks me if I was sick or something because he had heard that the Dragon Pox were going around again_."

"Moony you didn't." Lily asked.

"I did." I admitted sheepishly. "Oh come on! She was so far out of my league I hadn't the slightest idea I was even supposed to flirt with her back. I thought it would be rude and then she wouldn't want to be my friend anymore."

"Yes well, three more months of the most outrageous pick up lines and suggestive humor I have ever come up with later, I'd had enough." She said definitively. I smiled, looking at my spitfire, feeling her leg pressed against mine comfortably. He clearly had no interest so I just stopped going altogether. It was getting... difficult. Watching him be so obviously blind to everything, so I stopped. He clearly had feelings for me too but he wasn't about to acknowledge that something might ever happen. He was too sorry for himself to see what he was doing to everyone around him. My friends took me out that night, clear out the heartbreak they said, and we drank far too much and they both found dates and left me to drink on my own for a bit. I was drunk, stumbling the wrong direction from home, and who do I run into but this lovely werewolf!" She beamed. "Ever the gentleman, he walks me home, holds my hair back while I puke and stays the night to make sure I'm alright, and then he makes me breakfast, even stayed up the whole night to brew me some hangover potion."

"I had begun to fall for her the moment I met her. But how on Earth was I to know that she cared for me too?"

"You are such an idiot, sometimes. Do you know?" Lily asked, grinning.

"I'm quite aware, thank you."

"He made a comment, that morning over breakfast. He just said that it must have been quite the celebration last night, and I just snapped."

* * *

 _"I was clearing out some heartbreak, actually." She said angrily. "My friends took me out in the hopes that I'd stop crying." I stiffened at that. She loved another. (Obviously.) And he had hurt her irrevocably. (Ass. IDIOTIC ass. How could someone hold her heart and not understand?_

 _"What happened?"_

 _"I'm in love with a man who can't get admit to anyone how he feels."_

 _"He's a fool then."_

 _"Yes." She spoke bitterly. "I rather think so."_

 _"Who is this idiot?" I asked, before I could stop myself, hearing the resentment and bitterness loudly in my own voice._

 _"Jesus fuck, Remus, if you could stop feeling so damned sorry for yourself for five minutes, it would be perfectly clear who I am in love with!" What on Earth was that supposed to- she was crying. She was looking at me, crying. It was almost as though she-_

 _She rolled her eyes definitively and shook her head._

 _"Fucking hell. I'm going to have to do everything, aren't I?" And with that, she leaned forward and planted a kiss directly on my lips._

* * *

"Then I asked him out." She said. "And then I had to convince him I was serious. So I-"

"We really don't need to tell them that." I said, cutting her off immediately, feeling the flush enter my cheeks, remembering with distinct clarity the way her lips felt around my-

"Tell us what?" Sirius asked.

"No." I said with great definite emphasis. "Some things get to be private. I'm not James."

"What does that mean? You're not James?" Lily asked skeptically.

"I'm assuming he's referring to when James would come back into the dorm and tell us all in explicit detail, a play by play if you will, of every first thing all you all did together."

"All?" She asked, her gaze turning, steely upon James. He smirked back.

"Our firsts needed to be memorialized, darling."

"You're disgusting."

"You married me." Speaking off... My friends had met her. And they seemed to get on just fine. That was sort of it for me. That was sort of...the last step. I loved her with every fiber of my being. I wanted to spend the rest of my life with her. And she could hang with my friends, my family, my pack so to speak. I didn't want to wait anymore. I thought back to that velvet box, sitting in my bedside drawer. Yes. Yes, it was time.


End file.
